Tammy Zonker

I am an envelope-pushing fundraising practitioner, an inspiring international speaker, and a powerful trainer in the discipline of transformational fundraising.

In the past decade I have coached, trained and led nonprofit teams to raise more than $400M including a single gift of $27.1M.

I moved to Detroit in 2008 motivated to fund raise in the most challenging economy in the U.S. and have turned those experiences into fundraising strategies, tools and processes for creating breakthrough fundraising results in any economy.

When I'm not speaking at conferences or fundraising, you’ll find me in Detroit leading online webinars and e-courses, hosting an online episode of ZTV or facilitating private workshops and retreats across North America and beyond.

My favorite storyteller is...

...Hailing from Detroit, Marshall Mathers, aka Slim Shady or Eminem is one of the world’s greatest storytellers. He courageously tells the tales of the streets, the ugly underbelly of urban decay, poverty and the infectious ills it inspires. He does so with fierce courage, insightfulness, vulnerability, and empathy. He bludgeons a crack in the surface of that world, allowing us so-called civilized outsiders to see in – and perhaps more importantly empowering those within to see the possibility outside.

Excerpt lyrics from "Lose Yourself” by Eminem:

All the pain inside amplified by theFact that I can't get by with my 9 to 5And I can't provide the right type of life for my family'Cause man, these damn food stamps don't buy diapersAnd it's no movie, there's no Mekhi Phifer, this is my lifeAnd these times are so hard, and it's getting even harderTrying to feed and water my seed, plusTeeter totter caught up between being a father and a primadonnaBaby, mama drama's screaming on herToo much for me to wannaStay in one spot, another day of monotony's gotten meTo the point, I'm like a snailI've got to formulate a plot or I end up in jail or shotSuccess is my only motherfucking option, failure's notMom, I love you, but this trailer's got to goI cannot grow old in Salem's lotSo here I go it's my shot.Feet, fail me notThis may be the only opportunity that I got

My gift to you:

Subscribe to ZTV to receive a weekly episode of fundraising wisdom, wit and an occasional rant delivered right to your email inbox. I am passionate about helping you transform your fundraising, so you can transform the world. And wine – I'm also passionate about wine.